Slide Show: Best Small Places For Business And Careers

I cover sports business with rare dips into b-schools, local economies

Courtesy of the City of Sioux Falls

Best Small Places for Business and Careers

Our ranking of the Best Small Places for Business and Careers looks at metro areas with populations of less than 245,000. We ranked areas on 12 metrics including costs (business and living), job growth (past and projected), income growth, educational attainment and projected economic growth. We also factored in quality of life issues like crime, cultural and recreational opportunities as well as net migration patters. Lastly we examined the percentage of subprime mortgages handed out over a three-year stretch and the number of highly ranked four-year colleges in the area.